Turning Point
by Nodakskip
Summary: Young Justice is told what happened to Robin in BB: Return of the Joker
1. Default Chapter

This is my view of what happened right after the flash back scene in the movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.  
  
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They all waited.  
  
The JLA Watchtower on the moon was normally empty this time of day. But that wasn't how it was turning out today. Batman had called ahead. He told the Green Lantern to simply have the JLA, and Young Justice get to the Watchtower, and that he would be coming up after everyone had arrived.  
  
They all knew this could only be about one thing. Robin has been found. Batman's side kick, and Young Justice Leader had been missing for over three weeks. All that was known was that he was seen in Gotham City by a group of high school kids swinging from rooftop to rooftop. But nothing since. They all hoped he was all right, but in their line of work that usually was not the case.  
  
"Has there been any word?" Wonder Woman asked.  
  
The Flash shook his head, "Not since his first call two hours ago."  
  
Wonder Woman sighed, "The longer this plays out, the worse it will be for the children." She looked out to the long observation window that looked down at the earth. Most of Young Justice was lined up staring out the window.  
  
Cassie Sandsmark aka Wonder Girl didn't even look up from the window. "He's fine guys. Maybe it's like when we got pulled into that portal for two days last year. We got out of it fine, and Robin will get out of this also. He has to."  
  
Secret just floated next to her. "But it's been so long Cassie. It feels wrong for us to be together with out him here with us."  
  
Superboy nodded. "If Batman hasn't found him, then we will go out again."  
  
Cissie Jones looked up, "We already went out! All of us. We tore Gotham apart looking for him. He's not there.  
  
At that moment the teleport pad came to life. The solid form of Batman appeared a second later. The moment they all saw his face, they knew it was bad. Very Bad.  
  
"Your all here." He said as he came to the meeting room. The members of Young Justice sat around the table with the JLA. Superboy stood behind Cassies chair with his hand on her shoulder trying to do anything to comfort her.  
  
Batman looked them all over for a moment. He didn't bother to sit in his chair. "I have come to say this only once." He looked to Young Justice, "Robin was proud to have been a member of your team. At first I didn't like the idea of his joining you, but I am grateful he talked me into it. You gave him something I couldn't. Friends." He paused for a moment.  
  
Before he could continue, Cassie cut in. "What do you mean to have been?" Impulse head dropped into his hands. And for once he talked at normal speed. "He's dead isn't he?"  
  
Batman gathered his strength. "No he is alive."  
  
Everyone's heads shot up at those words. Superman indicated Young Justice, "Can they see him then?"  
  
Batman shook his head. "No. I can't allow that right now. He is no condition for it."  
  
Cissie asked hopeful, "When will he be up for a visit?"  
  
"Not for a very long time. If at all." Batman stated. "Robin was kidnapped by the Joker. After what he went though…" they could see the rage building in him. "He will not be Robin again. The boy under the mask is alive, but as of now… Robin is no more. He will not rejoin Young Justice"  
  
He turned to leave the way he came, ignoring the cries of the others. Superboy took off like a bullet, and landed in front of him. They stood facing each other. "What do you mean he isn't coming back? It's his call not yours."  
  
Batman didn't answer he reached into his cape, and pulled out a cd. Superboy and the rest watched as Batman tossed it on the table. He walked back to the teleporter pad. "It is my call." He said simply before he vanished.  
  
Nobody moved at first, they all just stared at the cd. Nobody seemed to want to touch it. Finally Superman put it in the main screens drive. It started to play what looked like old film from a projector.  
  
It was in black and white. The words OUR FAMILY MEMORIES appeared in a hand drawn scribble. They all watched. No one said anything.  
  
The image changed on the film to show the Joker wearing a novelty "kiss the cook" apron. On a nearby table where weird items. Jars of chemicals, a plunger, a large wrench, and lots of sharp objects. The Jokers image went over to an old outdoor grill, and lifted the lid. Then he pulled out two large metal clamps attached to cables.  
  
The image followed the Joker over to an operating table everyone stood when they saw Robin strapped down to the table trying to get free. "No!!" Superboy yelled, as he guessed what was going to happen. The Joker attached the clamps to the table holding Robin down. And the Joker pulled a lever and electricity flowed through the clamps.  
  
They could hear nothing, but they could see Robin soundlessly screaming as he was being electrocuted. Cissie couldn't take it. She leaned over, and threw up. But they couldn't take their eyes off the screen as the Joker seemed to delight flicking the power on and off. Constantly shocking Robin. Superboy squished the back of Cassies chair so hard that it snapped under the pressure. The image changed to what appeared to be a small camera hidden on what looked like Batman. It was color now.  
  
The Joker along with a woman dressed in a red and black clown outfit where in front of some curtains. The sound kicked in at that moment.  
  
The Jokers voice was high pitched. "Then we remembered you all ways had a couple of spare kids hanging around. So we borrowed one." They pulled back the curtain to reveal a dark room with an upright operating table. All that could be seeing was blue shoes for a second. Then the full horror became visible. Robin has been transformed. His skin was pure white. His clothes where the same purple suite as the Jokers. And his grin was even larger then Jokers.  
  
They entire meeting room echoed with the sound of Robins terrible laughter from the cd. The camera angle moved fast as Batman broke out of what ever was holding him, and he threw a knife at the Jokers head. It missed. The Joker laughed as he ran from Batman.  
  
There was an abrupt cut in the video as they now saw Batman's arm holding the Joker by the neck. The Joker was speaking. "Oh, Bats if you had the guts for that, this would have ended a long time ago. You don't have it in you. But me on the other hand!" The Joker pulled a knife, and slashed at Batman hitting his arm. Before Batman could recover the Joker plunged the knife into Batmans leg.  
  
Batman fell down a pile of boxes, and landed hard on the floor. "You've lost Batman. Robin is mine now. And to prove it…" Batman looked up, and saw the transformed Robin standing close by with the hideous grin. Joker tossed Robin a toy gun. "Go ahead junior. Make daddy proud. Deliver the punch line."  
  
No one moved as Robin raised the gun at Batman. He kept laughing hysterically. "Do it!" the Joker yelled. Robin pulled the trigger, and a metal flag with the word 'Bang' on it came out. He aimed the gun again. "Do it sonny, make me proud."  
  
They could see Robin trying not to. His laughter getting uneven. After what seemed like an eternity, Robin fired. The medal flag launched out, and hit the Joker in the chest. "That's not funny." The Joker said. "That's not funny at all…" He fell to the ground not moving.  
  
Batman struggled to his feet. Batgirl ran up to Robin. She grabbed him as he collapsed to his knees. Robin started to cry hard as he leaned against Batgirl. The imaged ended with Batman's shadow falling on them both. The screen went dark.  
  
No one could say anything. Impulse who normally was more affected by video games then real life just sat there not saying a word. After a few seconds the kids all went together, and did the one thing that a 'cool' teen hero would never be seeing doing. They cried. And they held each other. 


	2. after

To make it work I messed a bit with some things. I'm assuming that all of the comic books Young Justice/Teen Titans/JLA happened. But we just never saw the animated shows. The Teen Titans where formed a bit after the JLA. Young Justice formed as it did in the book. Robin was kidnapped by the Joker before Cassie took command of YJ after the votes. In this version Cassie took over after Robin went missing. 

Tim Drake sat in his wheelchair, and watched the young man depart down the path. Part of him felt sorry for the lad. He had huge shoes to fill, but it seems the old man picked wisely. No doubt Terry was run through several background checks. *I'll bet he even knows his favorite color.* Tim's thoughts where interrupted by a woman's voice behind him.

"Is that who I think it was?"

Tim smiled. "You know I can't tell you that." The woman came to stand in front. She was 5'7 shoulder length blond who looked good for someone who was in her late forties. She didn't look a day over thirty. "How are you doing Cassie?"

Cassie Sandsmark smiled as she leaned down, and hugged him. "Me? I think I should be asking you that question." Tim gave a weak grin as Cassie sat where Terry had just been. "I've had better days."

"I can't tell you how shocked we where this morningto get back from New Genesis to find the monitor going nuts. A Joker look a like levels thirteen city blocks with a weapons satellite. Plus finding you in the hospital….Suzie almost fainted on the spot."

Tim winced at the mention of the damage. "It was mostly buildings that where going to be torn down for the new highway anyway……plus a park. They still haven't found any bodies yet, but there is no way that beam missed everyone." He says looking down.

Cassie took his hands in hers. "Tim is there something you're not telling me?"

Tim couldn't look her in the eyes. "It was me. I was the new Joker." He choked out.

Cassie's eyes went wide. "What! Tim…that can't be. How could you have done anything? I saw the news vids. There is no way that you where him. This couldn't have been good for you nightmares….."

"No" he cut her off. "The Joker, the real Joker. He put some chip into me. I can't begin to understand it. I don't now how he understood it. But the Jokers mind was overwriting mine. After awhile he took over my body. At first I thought they where my nightmares again. But it wasn't. That thing he put in me made me into a copy of him all over again." He couldn't hold back the tears.

Cassie kneeled next to his wheelchair so they where eye to eye. "Tim I know you. I know you wouldn't have done anything like this." He looked at her. "It was my body. I should have figured it out. I should have stopped it along time ago. But no. That thing in me has enough time to gather a gang, and build a satellite jamming station!"

"Tim, no one can know everything. Hell look at us. All of us in the JLA and the JLU didn't even know Superman had an alien creature controlling him for two years! Joker almost destroyed you once. I still have nightmares of the first time we saw you after he had you. Don't let him destroy the Tim Drake we all love again."

Tim stared skywards. "I remember it to. I was pretty out of it. But I remember what you said to me then."

"That we love you. And that there would always be a spot for you on Young Justice. Even Kon said it. It still shocks me that he said it." He faced her again. "But there hasn't been a Young Justice for along time now."

Cassie sat back down. "Don't get me started. They where so ticked at us when we didn't want to be called the New Teen Titans. After the retirement of so many of the old guard it didn't seem right to be called Young Justice with out you in there somehow." "I know." Tim said. "But I said it then as now. I will not be the 'Billy' of your team." Cassie frowned. "You never told me what that means." 

Tim leaned in. "It's from old TV. Power Rangers Zeo. Billy was one of the best then after they got new powers he was on the sidelines just guarding the base. I couldn't do that."

Cassie's wrist communicator beeped. Tim pointed to it. "Duty calls." Cassie looked at him sadly. "Yeah. We where only back for a few hours. I'll call you when we get back, and you are coming up to the Watch Tower. The others very much want to see you." Tim smiled as she hugged him again. "I'll be there. It will do me some good to get out of here even for a few hours. And I can remind that husband of yours he still owes me for that super bowl bet. " Cassie kissed him on the check before she runs off.

Tim watches her leave as he hears….

"And who was that dad?"

He turned to his teen age daughters, "Oh her, that was Wonder Woman." His eldest daughter sighed. "No dad who was she really?"

Tim smiled.


End file.
